How To Love
by BlackConverse3
Summary: Annabeth Chase is promoted in the FBI and meets her new partner. Only problem, her partner, Percy Jackson is notorious for being sarcastic and short-tempered, causing him to get into loads of trouble. Will they be able to work together in order to solve one of the most challenging cases that the Bureau has ever seen? Or will everything she's tried so hard to get fall apart?
1. Chapter 1

"Assistant Director Blackwell would like to see you in five, Special Agent Chase. Again, congratulations."

Annabeth Chase dipped her head to the Division Director before turning to make her way to the elevator.

Stopping by the restroom, she tied her curly blonde hair up in a ponytail and surveyed her appearance.

Her charcoal gray suit jacket contrasted nicely with her crisp white shirt, and made her steely gray eyes stand out even more than normal.

At the ripe age of 25, she had finally been promoted from her boring-ass desk job at the Bureau of Albany.

Now the real fun began.

She was a field agent now, and that meant she had a chance to prove her worth to the Bureau.

 _I wonder why Director Blackwell is calling me so soon...it must be a case._

With a huff, she dismissed her image and made her way to the elevator.

As soon as the elevator pinged on the 3rd floor, she stepped out and surveyed the area.

White tile flooring, leather couches and a reception desk, where a dark-haired woman was currently glaring at her computer.

Annabeth clasped her hands in front of her as soon as she made her way over and spoke, "Ma'am?"

The woman raised her head and gasped.

"Oh, you must be Annabeth Chase! Thank you for being prompt. I'll buzz you in."

The woman pressed an intercom button before speaking, "Director Blackwell, Annabeth Chase is here."

There was a pause before a gruff voice answered, "Buzz her in."

The receptionist nodded to Annabeth, who walked over to the door and waited for the buzzer.

Assistant Director Blackwell was shuffling through a few papers as she walked in and he nodded towards the empty seat in front of him.

"Sit down, Annabeth. We have a lot to discuss."

She glanced at the man currently slumped in the chair next to hers and made a sound of disdain.

The man was a complete mess.

His raven-black hair was disheveled, and he wore a brown leather jacket and a stained white t-shirt.

"So, Blackwell. You want a picture for your how-to manual?" The man spoke, gesturing towards her without even looking her way.

"Yes, Jackson. That's exactly what I'm doing. Writing a how to manual on how _not_ to do your job and _how_ to get fired. But lucky for you, you have more lives than a cat, you're getting yet another chance to show us that you can do your job _correctly_ , " The director then released a sigh of exasperation before continuing.

"Now, if you'd shut your mouth and keep your comments to yourself for once, I'd like to move on with why I called you both in here."

Annabeth leaned forward, ignoring the man next to her and listened, curious to why she'd been called in.

"Annabeth Chase, met your new partner, Special Agent Perseus Jackson."

She opened her mouth to protest but the man sitting next to her, Perseus, beat her too it.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I am not working with a-"

"If you even thought of saying _girl_ , I will kick your ass so you won't be able to sit for a week." Annabeth hissed angrily.

"Kinky, but I wasn't talking to you, Princess, " The man snarled at her, before finally turning, showing her his face.

He was definitely handsome, with stubble across his strong jaw and sharp piercing green eyes. That didn't distract from the fact that he smelt like warmed up kelp and had an attitude.

"Maybe you should just resign all together, instead of even trying to find a partner. I'll even help you with the paperwork." Annabeth snapped back at him.

"Hey, fuck you, Barbie Doll."

"Quiet both of you!" Blackwell barked, causing both agents to turn to look at him.

"Jackson, your going to stay _here_ until you do something so illegal even I can't cover for you or get yourself killed. Chase, you make sure he doesn't do any of those things. Are we clear?"

Annabeth gritted her teeth but bobbed her head, "Yes, sir."

"Jackson?" Director Blackwell glared at the other agent, waiting for his response.

"Crystal, " the raven-haired agent ground out.

"Good. Now, for your case." Blackwell slid a file across the desk to Perseus, who picked it up and opened it.

He sat there for a few seconds, analyzing the file before he looked up, shock written all over his face.

"You're giving us the Tèssera Case?"

Annabeth felt her eyes widen.

She'd heard all about the Tèssera Case. Four people murdered: their throats slashed, clothes ripped off, and the Omega symbol, the last letter on the Greek alphabet, written in blood on their bathroom mirror.

There was no sign of forced entry, no residue left behind and definitely no trace of the killer.

This person was definitely a pro.

And most recently, one of the victims had been an agent of the Bureau, Agent Underwood, which made the FBI more _directly_ involved with the case.

"That's correct, Percy." He rolled his pen absently on the desk before continuing, "You will both report to the New York field office, dressed properly, " he glanced at Special Agent Percy Jackson, "at zero nine hundred. Understood?"

Annabeth Chase stood up and nodded her head, "Yes sir."

With that, Annabeth walked out the room and waited for Percy to finish talking to the director.

A few minutes later, the agent walked out of the room, sent her a glare and pushed past her to get to the elevator.

She quickened her pace and as soon as he stopped at the elevator door, she held out her hand.

"Can I see the case file?"

His green eyes narrowed and he growled, "No."

"Excuse me?"

"Get your own."

The elevator pinged and Percy Jackson strode through the door, leaving Annabeth standing there with her hand clenched in a fist at her side.

 _I work my ass off and this is what I get? You'd got to be kidding me._


	2. Chapter 2

Annabeth tapped her pen against her living room table, before biting her lip.

The photos of the crime scenes laid out in front of her in order by date, but still _nothing_ made sense.

Each victim had a different job: mechanic, florist, IT analyst, and finally an FBI agent.

Each victim even looked completely different from one another.

She grimaced at the last photo. The latest victim, Special Agent Grover Underwood, had been hung up from the rafters in his house, with the Omega symbol carved into his pale flesh.

It had happened _antemortem,_ meaning it most likely happened before he had been killed.

 _He had been tortured._

And just that fact alone, made Annabeth want to find the bastard that did this.

She may not have known Special Agent Underwood personally, but she had heard amazing things about him and his partner.

Her mind drifted to what waited in store for them tomorrow.

But more specifically: Percy Jackson.

She released a frustrated huff, trying to get herself to stop thinking about her new annoying and bad-tempered partner.

Though, she couldn't deny that he wasn't attractive.

Even his voice: a low husky note with a hint of a New York accent, was undoubtedly hot.

Especially when he was angry.

 _Get it together, Annabeth. Focus on the case._

Shaking her head, she glanced at the time, before stuffing the photos back in the folder.

The killer seems to pick his victims at random. But there has to be a pattern. There's _always_ a pattern.

Four murders and counting.

The first: a woman in her twenties with dark hair and a mechanic job at the local Winchester Auto Shop. She had been married with a son.

The second: a man in his late fifties, working as a florist. He was a widower, who's wife had died 2 years prior. He had no children.

The third: a man in his mid thirties, blond hair and blue eyes, worked at Hewlett Packard, as an IT analyst. He was recently divorced.

And finally...Grover Underwood. A man in his thirties, happily married, and working as an FBI agent. Apparently he was found dead by his last partner.

Annabeth's eyes skimmed the police report.

 _Found hanging off rafters...flesh carved into with unidentified sharp object...found by..._

 _Wait a second..._

Annabeth looked closer at the scrawled writing and drew in a sharp breath.

 _Found by Special Agent Perseus Jackson._

She sat there for a while, staring at the piece of paper clutched in her hands.

That meant that Percy was Grover's last partner.

 _And I had acted horribly to him...right after his partner died. I even told him to resign..._

Annabeth groaned, rubbing her temple with her fingertips in a circular motion.

Gathering the papers back in the folder, she stood up and stretched her arms over her head.

 _If I'm going to have to apologize to him tomorrow, I'm gonna need as much sleep as I can get._

* * *

She waited patiently for Percy to show up at the airport, her ticket in hand and a frown on her face.

When she glanced down the large aisle, she noticed Percy striding towards to where she was standing, though he hadn't yet spotted her.

 _And he was wearing a suit._

His biceps bulged with strength underneath his white button down and his taunt forearms showed with his sleeves rolled up.

He carried two duffel bags and a beat up leather satchel, the strap firmly set across his chest. His jacket was underneath one arm.

Percy glanced around the surrounding area before he spotted her and made his way over.

She could've sworn, all the women in a half mile radius swooned and began humming _Sharp Dressed Man._

At least, Annabeth was pretty sure the teenage girls next to her began to sing it softly, giggling to one another.

With a loud _thud_ , Percy dropped one of the duffel bags and adjusted his black tie.

He seemed frustrated as he completely untied his tie before letting it hang there underneath his collar.

A long breath escaped through his nose as he picked up one end of the black silk and glared at it.

"Here, let me."

Annabeth stepped forward, into Percy's personal space and grasped both ends of the tie.

Percy stayed completely still as she quickly and easily tied a Four-In-Hand knot, one she learned from her dad, before she held the narrow end and slid the front knot up to tighten it.

"There. Good as new." Annabeth gazed up at her partner before adding in clipped voice, "I knew you'd be late."

His jaw set, like he was clenching his teeth.

Percy didn't even bother to reply, just went to check his bags and gather his ticket before they fell in step to make their way to security.

She kept her same impression of him that she had yesterday: he was an asshole with a short-temper and an attitude.

 _An asshole who just lost his partner._

Annabeth stared at him through the corner of her eye.

He was clean-shaven now, black hair unruly, and he was currently glaring forward as they made their way through the crowd.

The look on his face could've easily rivaled a wolf's: fierce and threateningly, as if saying, _Don't screw with me, I've had it worse._

She wondered about his background and how exactly he got to become an FBI agent.

 _"What do you want?"_

Annabeth jerked her head, startled by his voice.

He was staring at her now, his green eyes narrowed ever so slightly, his lips set in a firm line.

"Nothing." She whipped her head forward and felt her lips curve into a scowl.

Why she was in charge of holding Percy Jackson's leash, she could scarcely fathom it.

 _Maybe because he's clearly unstable and insane? But does that give him reason to act like an asshole?_

They flashed their identification to security and then were subject to a brief check.

Soon, after they reached their gate, Percy turned to her and said, his voice a low rumble, "Listen. I don't want to do this anymore than you do, but it seems like we're stuck here together."

By _seems like_ , it looked like Percy had asked for a new partner and been rejected.

Annabeth hiked her bag further up her shoulder and nodded her head.

Sensing she wasn't in the mood to chat, by her expression and her continued silence, Percy settled down in an empty chair to wait for their plane to arrive.

She sat several seats away from him and fiddled with her cell phone, in an attempt to look busy.

It took a few minutes for the plane to arrive, but when it finally did, Annabeth felt herself tense.

An hour and a fifty-eight minute plane ride with her new partner wasn't something she looked forward too.

But as soon as they were aboard the plane and settled in their seats, Percy popped open a bottle of aspirin and swallowed a pill before laying his head back and releasing a sigh.

"Don't like planes?" Annabeth heard herself say, surprised that her voice almost sounded teasing.

"Hate them. Planes crash."

Snorting loudly, she remarked, "Do you know the chance of a plane actually crashing? It's one to eleven million."

"Whatever, Whiz Kid. Doesn't make me feel any better." He then closed his eyes as the flight attendants began to make rounds, making sure all the top compartments were latched.

"How old are you anyways?" Annabeth asked, genuinely curious.

"How old are you?" Percy countered.

"I just turned twenty-five a few weeks ago."

Peeling his eyes open, Percy squinted at her and muttered, "Jesus."

"Why? How old are you?"

"Thirty."

"Really?" Surprise filtered through her voice and she continued, "You certainly don't look it. How long have you worked here? For the FBI I mean?"

"Long enough."

She frowned slightly at the tone of his voice. All of the snarkiness had disappeared from his voice and was replaced by exhaustion.

She felt a stirring in her stomach, a unfamiliar feeling rising up in her bones.

 _Pity._

Annabeth watched as the flight attendant did the safety demonstration before she buckled her own seat belt and leaned back slightly.

As soon as the plane's engine roared to life, she saw Percy's hand grasp the arm rest. His long nimble fingers curled over the edge of the hard plastic and his knuckles turned white.

"Relax. It'll be over soon. It's only a two-hour flight."

"Yeah, two hours of me trying not to throw up."

Raising her hand in the air, she muttered, "Too much, Jackson. Too much."

His lips twisted up in a smirk.

 _An infuriating smirk_ _with two dimples on the right cheek_ _and my god Annabeth, stop looking at him._

She rolled her eyes before swiveling her head towards the aisle.

When the plane started rolling forward, her partner released a quiet groan.

 _Yep...this was gonna be a long plane ride._


	3. Chapter 3

She slid into the backseat of the black SUV that had been waiting for them after the plane landed, before glancing up at the driver.

He was young, around her age, with blond hair, blue eyes and glasses. A smile graced his lips.

"Good morning, Special Agent Chase, Special Agent Jackson. We're here to take you to the Field Office, where you will meet the Agent In Charge. Would you like to stop for food before? Maybe a drink?"

"You forget your lunch box or something?" Percy asked sarcastically, before propping his elbow against the window.

Annabeth released a huff of aggravation before she said politely, "No thank you. May I ask who you two are?"

The blond man turned the key in the ignition, carefully pulling out into street before answering her question.

"I'm Agent Jason Grace. And that's Agent Leo Valdez." The man sitting in the passenger seat nodded his head to them before going back to fiddle with something in his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"Kiss-ass."

Annabeth turned and glared at her partner, who was currently staring idly out the window at the billboards.

The man, Jason, released a chuckle, glancing back at them through the rear view mirror.

"Director Blackwell informed us that it was your first time working together. And he also mentioned that you weren't too keen of each other."

"Well, he was right." Annabeth muttered.

* * *

"Special Agent Chase, Special Agent Jackson. I'm so glad to finally met you both. I'm Special Agent In Charge Ethan Nakamura. Let's get on with this, shall we?"

Ethan, the Head of the New York Field Office, dropped a file on the large table where they were seated before he continued speaking.

"Now, we all know this case is a top priority, as it has claimed one of our own."

Annabeth glancing sideways at Percy, who remained stone-faced.

"You'll both be working beside our other leads: Agent Luke Castellan and Agent Valentina Diaz. They are still in the process of interviewing the neighbors of Special Agent Grover Underwood, so they were unable to make it."

With a heavy sigh, Ethan Nakamura added, "You both have two adjoined hotel rooms at the Grand Hyatt. It's close to the office. Everything we've collected is at your disposal."

"What exactly have you collected?" Annabeth asked, leaning forward in her chair.

"Not much. Some partial fingerprints and a few strands of a brunette wig."

She frowned before glancing at her surprisingly quiet partner.

"Anything to add?"

"No." He murmured, barley loud enough for her to hear him.

"Special Agent Perseus Jackson, is it? I heard that Special Agent Underwood was your last partner. My deepest condolences, " Ethan said softly, sending Percy a look of sympathy.

Percy's jaw clenched tightly and he drew himself up to his full height before his mouth opened to give the Agent In Charge a piece of his mind.

"Sir." A female voice sounded as a woman entered the board room.

"Director Blackwell is on the phone for you and Special Agent's Jackson and Chase. He says it urgent."

"Thank you, Lacy."

The women withdrew from the room and Ethan waited until the door clicked shut, before he stepped closer to the table to press the button on the large table.

"Morning, Chiron."

"Good morning, Ethan. I believe my agents are there and already causing trouble?"

A chuckle escaped from Ethan's throat before he glanced at Percy, who had propped his feet up on the chair next to him and stared up at the ceiling, and then over at Annabeth.

"No, they're good, Chiron. So, may I ask why you called?"

A sigh sounded through the phone's speaker, before Chiron's voice spoke again, "To be direct, I'd like to inform Special Agent's Jackson and Chase about our little agreement."

Ethan let out a sigh before adjusting the strap that was connected to his eye patch.

"Go ahead, Chiron."

"What agreement?" Percy asked, narrowing his sharp green eyes.

"You see, Percy. You are to look unexperienced and incapable to the New York team. You're only goal is to find out what happened to Special Agent Grover Underwood. If you fall upon any other leads about the other deaths, good for you."

"So, you want me to act like an idiot."

"Percisly."

Percy gazed up at the ceiling before a crooked grin bloomed on his face.

"Sweet."

"What about me, Director? Percy may be able to pull off looking stupid-"

"Hey!"

"-but I don't think-"

Director Blackwell cut her off.

"Annabeth, you are a new field agent. Percy has far more experience than you, as shocking as that may be, and he's unfortunately very good at his job. You are to follow Percy's lead in this case. Do whatever is takes to find Grover's killer. I'll contact you if anything comes up. Ethan, give my love to the girls."

The sound of the phone beeping after it had been hung up filled the silence in the room.

Annabeth gritted her molars together before letting out a breath through her nose.

 _Relax, Annabeth._

"It's Jason, right?" Percy's voice broke through her thoughts and she turned to look at Agent Jason Grace, who dipped his head to Percy's question.

"You mind showing us the lab?"

"Of course."

"You seem as though you have everything handled. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with my Director. Good luck." Ethan departed through the door that Jason had opened and walked to the left, out of sight.

"You just gonna sit there or you coming with me, Wise Girl?" Percy inquired before raising an eyebrow.

She nodded her head and followed the men out to the hallway.

"Which way to the lab, kiddies?"

Jason ignored Percy's jab and answered easily, "I'll take you there."

Leo, on the other hand, answered, his face creased with annoyance, "We're not kids. We've been agents for 6 months now."

Percy released a snort.

"Something wrong about that, sir? How long have you been an agent, old man?"

"What the hell did you just call me?" Percy took a step towards Leo, but Annabeth intercepted him.

"Now, boys. Let's be civil here, alright? We're all on the same team here."

"Team members don't let other team members get murdered, " Leo muttered under his breath.

Percy must of heard him, because he hissed, "You shut your mouth, asshole. I had nothing to do with Grover's murder!"

"That's enough!" Annabeth pushed Percy back slightly, before asking Jason, "Where's the lab? We'll go down there ourselves."

Jason, who had been eying Leo, answered, "Level Three. Go all the way down the left hall. Should read _Lab_ on the wall."

"Thank you."

Annabeth grasped Percy's bicep, trying not to think about how ripped he was, and dragged him into the elevator.

"What the hell was that for?" Percy demanded as soon as the elevator doors closed.

Pressing the 3 button on the wall, she leaned against the back end of the elevator and murmured, "Do you have to pick a fight with everyone you met? They were trying to help."

"They said-"

"I don't give a flying fuck what they said. You have a temper and you need to learn to control it. Before it gets you killed."

"Don't tell me what to do, Chase!"

Throwing her hands up in the air, she groaned, "You are such a child, Perseus Jackson!"

She was surprised when Percy's eyes darkened a shade and he got right up in her face.

His hands shot out to encase her on either side, so she couldn't move without shoving him. His lips pressed close to her ear, just barely grazing it.

Then his voice sent a shiver down her spine.

"Don't. Call. Me. Perseus."

His tenor housed a dark edge, a threat looming in his voice. His voice then dropped an octave as he snarled, "Understand?"

Annabeth didn't care that he was basically threatening her. All she could think about were his slightly chapped lips, how they brushed her skin and how a hint of the ocean wafted off him.

He was _so_ close.

"Back up, Jackson. Before I kick your ass."

Her voice sounded small.

He stood there for another heartbeat, before he withdrew and Annabeth could breathe again.

 _Well, this was going to be delightful. Way to piss off your partner yet again, Annabeth._

As the elevator dinged on the second floor, Annabeth stationed herself in the corner and avoided Percy's eyes.

He did the exact same.


End file.
